Arcadópolis
Young Portuguese Man
Reza Abbasi, 1634
What you see
The young Portuguese man reclines on the ground, propped on cushions at the left, legs stretched out to the right. He wears a wide-brimmed hat with a feather, a white ruff, a purple jacket with gold buttons, green breeches and brown boots. With one hand he offers food to a small white dog with black ears, which rests its paws on his knee.
His clothes stand out against the pale brown paper, where a tree with golden leaves spreads behind him. The cushions are decorated with birds, plants and a seated figure in red. Look for the wine glass beside his boots, the black inscription on the right and the border of gold leaves framed in red.
About Reza Abbasi
Reza Abbasi (c. 1565–1635), also called Aqa Riza, was the leading artist at the court of Shah Abbas I, who gave him the honorary title “Abbasi” in 1603. Although he also illustrated manuscripts, his specialty was single pages for albums, with one or two elegant figures drawn in a flowing, calligraphic line. He signed and dated many of his works, and his style influenced many later Persian painters, such as his pupil Mu'in Musavvir and his own son, Shafi Abbasi.
More by Reza Abbasi
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